"Trouble" - Eddie Vedder (Cat Stevens Cover)

I was googling Eddie Vedder + Acoustic

I stumbled upon this song by accident when I was mass downloading anything with "Eddie Vedder" + "Acoustic" in the title. Until googling the song, I didn't realize that "Trouble" was originally written and performed by Cat Stevens. Initially I thought "Trouble" was written about someone he loved but couldn't be with. The lyrics are interchangeable in that way - the "Trouble" referred to in the song is open to anyone's interpretation.

A young Cat Stevens

Stevens wrote the song in the 1970's after being admitted to a hospital with a collapsed lung and tuberculosis. The doctors told him he had a week to live. During his stay in the hospital he wrote dozens of songs including "Trouble", many of which were not recorded until a later date. In the song Stevens pleads, "Oh trouble move from me, I have paid my debt, Now won't you leave me in my misery". The humanity of this song is tragic, it is evident Stevens had accepted he was dying and wanted nothing more than to die peacefully, "I don't want no fight, and I haven't got a lot of time"

Our boy Yusuf Islam

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Cat Stevens converted to Islam at the height of his career in 1977 and adopted his Muslim name, Yusuf Islam. In 1979 he auctioned off all of his guitars for charity and left his music career. He dedicated himself to causes within the Muslim community and to date has received several awards for his outstanding work. Eventually the "Cat" came back to his musical career and has started recording and performing under the name Yusuf.  There's a great article "Here" where Stevens explains his decision to begin performing again.

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The original recording of this song by Stevens is epic, but Vedder nails it with his version. The haunting lyrics and Vedder's raw growl make this song effing heartbreaking.

P.s. This song is stupid simple to learn on guitar - check out the chords here

Trouble
Oh trouble set me free
I have seen your face
And it's too much too much for me

Trouble
Oh trouble can't you see
You're eating my heart away
And there's nothing much left of me

I've drunk your wine
You have made your world mine
So won't you be fair
So won't you be fair

I don't want no more of you
So won't you be kind to me
Just let me go where
I'll have to go there

Trouble
Oh trouble move away
I have seen your face
and it's too much for me today

Trouble
Oh trouble can't you see
You have made me a wreck
Now won't you leave me in my misery

I've seen your eyes
and I can see death's disguise
Hangin' on me
Hangin' on me

I'm beat, I'm torn
Shattered and tossed and worn
Too shocking to see
Too shocking to see

Trouble
Oh trouble move from me
I have paid my debt
Now won't you leave me in my misery

Trouble
Oh trouble please be kind
I don't want no fight
And I haven't got a lot of time